This article originally appeared in START Connecting in April 2026.

Much has changed at START in the past 25 years, but what has not changed over time is our commitment to inclusion.

Our 25th Annual START Conference speakers share messages that inspire and guide inclusion efforts in schools. Whether or not you are attending the conference, this article offers information and strategies to support inclusive thinking. You will find tools and ideas to re-energize your school’s commitment, implement practical strategies, strengthen peer supports for students with complex needs, and elevate student perspectives.

Dr. Shelley Moore
Shelley Moore’s work focuses on inclusive design, including structuring classroom environments with learning differences in mind, rather than accommodating after the fact. She shares numerous resources that inspire us to think differently about inclusion and Universal Design for Learning. 

Dr. Moore’s Five Moore Minutes YouTube channel features videos that illustrate inclusive concepts in relatable, perspective-shifting ways. Her storytelling approach makes ideas accessible and memorable. Shelley Moore fans may remember her bowling analogy. She notes that to achieve a “strike,” professional bowlers aim for the side pins, not the pin in the center. In the same way, inclusive schools change their focus to students who are hardest to reach, those on the outside of the lane. By changing our aim, we create an environment that better supports all students.

If you need concrete tools to support inclusion, Dr. Moore offers several resources and handouts to help school teams develop an Infrastructure for Inclusion and Design for Diversity. 

Dr. Elizabeth Biggs 
Elizabeth Biggs highlights the roles of school professionals and peers in creating inclusive environments. Her recent work focuses on peer network interventions for students with autism who have limited verbal speech (Biggs et al., 2024). In her study, Dr. Biggs used training and coaching for elementary students learning the Ways to Talk and Play intervention. The study showed that peers can be effective communication partners with peers who are AAC users through learning skills like giving toys, copying, noticing, commenting, and responding during play.

Dr. Biggs also explored teacher and paraprofessional perspectives about strategies that promote participation in general education (Gilson & Biggs, 2021). The researchers identified four themes about inclusion based on responses from special education teachers, general education teachers, and paraprofessionals. Collaboration and communication emerged as key factors that could either strengthen or hinder inclusive practice. Recommended action steps included fostering a shared commitment to teaching all students, growth in skillsets around teaming, and approaching barriers with creativity and flexibility. 

In the coming months, Dr. Biggs will work with START to develop short, impactful content highlighting these concepts. We look forward to sharing these resources to strengthen inclusive efforts in Michigan schools. 

Mateo Moreno 
Mateo Moreno brings lived experience to our understanding of inclusion, emphasizing the importance of student voice from his perspective as an adult AAC user. He uses these experiences to highlight the importance of holding high expectations for students while ensuring access to communication systems that meet their needs. 

Mateo also offers authentic examples of inclusion through his involvement in school sports and clubs, as well as through work experiences in the community. He reminds us that all students deserve to be heard. This challenges us to slow down and listen to student voices with genuine openness.

Inclusion: The Next 25 Years
Collectively, these ideas inspire and expand our practice. They encourage us to think differently and move beyond traditional approaches to create environments where all students participate meaningfully.

This suggests that inclusion is not just a value. It is a commitment to action. Inclusion requires us to prepare and shape environments for all students, invite peers in, and elevate student voices and perspectives. START looks forward to continuing to support inclusion alongside you in the next 25 years.

Written By: Jamie Owen-DeSchryver, PhD, Project Faculty

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